Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Patience Is a Virtue: Worcestershire Sauce

In 1830’s a new sauce was
produced in Great Britain. It became a popular condiment to various recipes.
From steak, to salads, and to soups, the Worcestershire sauce gave a unique
taste to it. But the background of how Worcestershire sauce came to be was shrouded
with mystery along with its recipe.

Worcestershire sauce
beginnings could be traced back to the 19th century, during the apex of British
imperial power. Literally, it was the Empire where the sun never sets. From
Canada to the most isolated island in the Pacific, British sovereignty reigns
over them. Thus, British military and administrators were also spread across
the globe. In Asia in particular, British military and the colonial authorities
maintained a strong present in its dominion. Soldiers and officials stationed
in the orient learned about the cuisine and different ingredients that were
rare in Europe. Spices such as cloves, cinnamon, and condiments like soy sauce
and curry were new to many soldiers. It was unique experience to some. And some
men enjoyed their stay and their food as well. British men tended to make their
unique concoction of sauce made of different ingredients available in their
stationed area.

Among these British
officials that made their own unique sauce was a certain Marcus Sandys. Sandys
stayed in the orient, in particular as Governor in Bengal until the 1830’s. As
he returned home to Worcestershire, England, he then became nostalgic of his
stay back in India. In particular, he missed his own unique sauce that he used
back during his service in the East. And so, he then asked a duo of grocers
slash chemist that owned a shop in Broad Street. William Henry Perrins and John
Wheeley Lea were given the tasked by Sandys to recreate his favorite exotic
sauce.

The pair then recreated the
sauce in their dismay. In a barrel they mixed the ingredients. The exact
ingredients were kept secret by Lea and Perrins. But probably it contained vinegar,
molasses, garlic, tamarinds, and different kinds of spices. The result was a
spicy irritating smelling sauce. It pleased the client, but the two grocers
were disgusted. After Sandys took the amount of sauce he needed, the two left
the remaining sealed tight in a barrel. Eventually, the barrel was forgotten
for a very long time. Until one day in 1838, while making an inventory and
cleaning their storage, they saw once again the barrel containing the pungent
sauce. However, as they opened it once more, it was no longer pungent. On the
contrary, it was appetizing in smell. Curiosity took over their minds and
tasted the sauce. Into their surprise, the sauce became suddenly delicious
after it was matured. The two shared to their customers the sauce by selling it
in bottles. They marketed the sauce as Worcestershire sauce, in honor of their
county.

The Worcestershire sauce
brought huge profits for the two. By 1843, they were advertising it to
newspaper. By 1845, they had built a huge factory to manufacture large amounts
of Worcestershire sauce. A decade later, they were producing 30,000 bottle of
the sauce and even began exporting it to other countries, including the United
States.

The story of the Worcestershire
sauce, however, was full of mystery. The story of the Worcestershire sauce came
from Lea and Perrins. In an advertisement in 1843, they mentioned that the
recipe came from a nobleman in the country, which was Marcus Sandys. But the
truth, there were no Sandys appointed as Governor of Bengal. Thus the story
became disputed whether truth.

Whatever the truth that Lea
and Perrins knew about the recipe, the recipe that they spread added a new
flavor to different recipes. It became one of the most popular condiments in
the world. Whether fact or not, the story also tells of how slow food and
patience could bring a new and beautiful taste unique to people’s palate. See also:Henry HeinzMargarinePotato Chips